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Stefano Travaglini

Described as “a wondrously eclectic talent” in Jazz Journal (UK), Stefano Travaglini is a pianist and composer mostly interested in the fascinating world of improvisation. He has released five albums as leader: The Hungarian Songbook (2013) in which he freely improvises over ancient magyar melodies, Ellipse, solo piano (2017), recorded in Oslo at Rainbow Studio, the result of an hour-long free recording session, considered “a masterwork of improvised music” and “one of the best improvised works of 2017” (All About Jazz), The long line, Two pianos (2019), with pianist M. Coclite, produced by american label Odradek Records, Monk, Fifteen piano reflections (2020), recorded in Paris, dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk and the latest album Book of innocence with Achille Succi (alto sax & bass clarinet).

He also graduated in Oboe, Composition and Conducting, having started playing piano at very young age, and has performed in numerous countries around the world. As a leader, Travaglini has toured with his own Quintet and DayDream Trio almost playing original music. The Hungarian Songbook duo (with magyar singer F. Halmos) has performed widely in Europe and America. In 2013 the duo was also one of the 23 finalists at the Terem Crossover International Competition in St. Petersburg. In 2018 Travaglini was a finalist at the renewed Scrivere in Jazz  International Competition in Composition and Arrangement for Jazz Orchestra (Sassari, Italy) presenting a work called Miserere inspired by traditional music from Sardinia.

In 2021 won the First prize at “G. Canciani” International Piano Competition for Composers. Currently teaching at the Ferrara Conservatory (ITA).

Awards

First prize at “G. Canciani” International Piano Competition for Composers, 2021


Tags

12
Liner Notes

Stefano Travaglini: Book of Innocence

Read "Stefano Travaglini: Book of Innocence" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


With Book of Innocence, Stefano Travaglini and Achille Succi have released an inspired recording and it is something quite beyond convention.  Stefano came to my attention in 2017 with his extraordinarily wide-ranging solo album Ellipse (Notami Jazz, 2017), his first leader recording. Another outstanding solo outing came in 2020 with Monk—Fifteen Piano Reflections (Notami Jazz). A multi-instrumentalist and composer, Stefano's primary focus, on his recordings, is the piano. A finalist, or winner, of multiple international piano competitions, Book of Innocence is Stefano's fifth album as a ...

13
Album Review

Stefano Travaglini/Achille Succi: Book Of Innocence

Read "Book Of Innocence" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Book Of Innocence, an album from pianist Stefano Travaglini and reedist Achille Succi, opens with a tune entitled “Rothko," taking inspiration from the Russian-born abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko. The music is an edgy, frenetic romp. It sounds like a near out-of-control roll by a pair of skateboarders careening down a steep and winding mountain road, without the benefit of any type of braking mechanisms, the riders (the instrumentalists) weaving back and forth into and out of each others paths ...

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Album Review

Stefano Travaglini: Monk - Fifteen Piano Reflections

Read "Monk - Fifteen Piano Reflections" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Italian composer and pianist Stefano Travaglini advanced his standing in the crowded field of solo piano improvisers with Ellipse (Notami Jazz, 2017). That album of (mostly) extemporaneous creations exhibited Travaglini's capacity for coalescing abstraction and lyricism in often understated ways. Trained as a classical pianist under Arvo Part and Vince Mendoza, he benefitted from their broad expertise in multiple genres and styles and Travaglini applies those learnings to his new solo project Monk—Fifteen Piano Reflections. Much of Thelonious ...

31
Album Review

Stefano Travaglini - Massimiliano Coclite: The Long Line

Read "The Long Line" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Italian pianists Stefano Travaglini and Massimiliano Coclite team up for a varied session of original improvisations and those influenced by composers of historical consequence. Both artists are coming from inspiring releases, Travaglini with his solo album Ellipse (Notami Jazz, 2017) and Coclite with his namesake quartet on Strange People (Odardek Records, 2018). These two musicians have demonstrated a gift for injecting expressive personality and control into real-time improvisations, which they refer to as “instant compositions." Travaglini studied with ...

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Album Review

Stefano Travaglini: Ellipse

Read "Ellipse" reviewed by Matt Hooke


Italian pianist Stefano Travaglini's Ellipse is a masterwork of improvised music. The recordings is the result of a single one-hour long unedited session at Oslo's Rainbow Studio. Travaglini's playing is beautiful and measured featuring a brilliant use of negative space. Travaglini is not interested in wowing the listener with flashy rapid-fire piano lines. Instead, he opts for a subtle charm. His playing is soft and delicate. His delicate style should not be mistaken for being frivolous. Ellipse would not be ...

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Album Review

Stefano Travaglini: Ellipse

Read "Ellipse" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Set up some studio time. Step into the studio. Sit down at the piano. Let your muse take you where she will. That's how pianist Stefano Travaglini rolled for the recording of Ellipse. Solo jazz piano, free improvisation especially, has proven itself over the years a difficult artist endeavor. Consider the modern masters: Keith Jarrett, Matthew Shipp, Satoko Fujii, and the master of them all, Cecil Taylor--all players who have consistently excelled at the alone-with-the-piano mode of expression. ...

150
Album Review

Stefano Travaglini: Ellipse

Read "Ellipse" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Italy's Stefano Travaglini--primarily a composer and pianist--is wildly diverse as an instrumentalist and composer. He has performed on oboe and bass guitar, studied with Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and American jazz and classical composer Vince Mendoza. Touring throughout four continents, Travaglini has demonstrated impressive proficiency in both jazz and classical genres though he is equally at home where categorizations aren't easily applied. A case in point is his debut album The Hungarian Songbook (Terre Sommerse, 2013); a collection of Eastern ...

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“Ellipse is a terrific solo piano recording; adventurous, but never over the top, and often quite beautiful.” Karl Ackermann, All about jazz “Travaglini’s is a wondrously eclectic talent…” Brian Morton, Jazz Journal (UK) “…Travaglini work’s Monk musical style into something that is uniquely his own.” C. Baber, JazzViews (UK) “Melody, articulated compositions in real suite, a European dimension, where they meet modern improvisation and writing. Jazz proposed by Stefano Travaglini brings elegance and practice of classical music and combines with the rhythm and the energy of contemporary jazz, without barriers of gender and, above all, sensitivity to the balance between the different souls which compose.” F

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Primary Instrument

Piano

Location

Rome

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Book Of Innocence

Notami Jazz
2022

buy

The Long Line

Odradek Records
2019

buy

Ellipse

Notami Jazz
2017

buy

The Hungarian Songbook

Terre Sommerse
2013

buy

Videos

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